“We expect the Cruze to compete head-to-head with the German diesels, particularly the Volkswagen Jetta TDI,” said Gary Altman, Chevrolet small cars chief engineer, during a media conference call earlier this week. “In fact, we expect to beat the Jetta in terms of price (compared to same trim level), features, range, even horsepower and torque.”

The Cruze 2.0 TD will start at $25,695, including a $810 destination charge, and features a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine that is expected to produce 148-horsepower and 258 lb-ft torque with 42 miles per gallon highway.

The Jetta TDI, which starts at $24,155, features a 2.0-liter, 140-horsepwer TDI engine with a six-speed DSG automatic transmission that achieves 42 miles per gallon.

The Cruze, according to Chevrolet Small Car and Electrified Vehicle Marketing Director Cristi Landy, said when released, the Cruze will be available with an automatic transmission and a trim level comparable to the high-level Cruze 2LT, which is why the vehicle is more expensive than the Jetta.

“It’s a very well-contended vehicle, and we feel that it is very competitive and a value versus the Jetta with that level of content,” she said during the call. “It really made sense for us to bring the Cruze in as the first passenger vehicle with these new admission standards as a modern vehicle.”

Landy said GM will first launch in 13 already popular diesel markets in spring, followed by a full-launch in the following months.

GM has sold nearly 2 million Cruze models globally since it was launched in mid-2010. GM produced more than half a million small diesel-engine cars across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America last year, including Cruze.

The Cruze 2.0 TD is the first passenger vehicle from Chevy since the 1.8-liter 1986 Chevette, according to GM.

The Detroit-based automaker's Lordstown Assembly in Ohio will build the vehicle, but the engines will come from GM's Kaiserslautern, Germany plant.

“There’s a lot of advantages, it’s def. something different,” Landy said. “Most of the buyers in the compact car market are shopping for a traditional gas engine, but we think there’s some room here, and some opportunity.”

Other automakers have noticed that “opportunity” as well.

Robert Bosch, a global multibillion-dollar engineering and electronics automotive leader, anticipates more than 50 light-vehicle diesel models to be announced or released by 2017 in North America, including 22 new models in 2013.

Diesels currently represents less than 3 percent of all U.S. sales. However, some companies expect that percentage to grow to 10 percent by 2020.

European automakers – particularly Volkswagen – have dominated the diesel market in the U.S., which has increased from 235,500 units in 2008 to 301,300 in 2012, according to Edmunds.com.

Excluding luxury vehicles, such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz, VW is the only automaker to offer a strictly diesel passenger vehicle in the U.S. since 2008, when Chrysler offered a Grand Cherokee diesel, which it will once again start to offer later this year.

Diesel-powered vehicles have remained a niche market in the U.S. for decades due to consumer perception, pricing and the fuel being more expensive than standard gasoline, according to analysts. Diesels cost about $2,000 to $3,000 more on average than a standard gasoline engine.

The Chicago Auto Show, celebrating its 105th year, is open to the public from Feb. 9-18 at the McCormick Center, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive. Dozens of vehicles from the world’s top automakers are expected to debut during the show’s press preview days Feb. 7 and Feb. 8.

Check back to MLive.com/auto later today for more information on the vehicle.